Archive for October 31, 2012

I was sitting in my comfortable recliner on a Thursday a couple weeks ago, when I received a call from Lane with the Agency for Person with Disabilities. He explained that Barbara, the director of APD, heard me do my speech accepting the Idelio Valdes Award, at the capital in Tallahassee Florida. She loved my speech so much that she wanted to invite me to a presentation she was doing on October 24, 2012 in Orlando Florida. She said she wanted me to share my story as well.

I said that I would be glad to do it but the only issue was I had no transportation. Lane told me that he would look into finding me a ride and get back to me. Lane called me back a couple days later to say he found a ride for me. My ride was Clearance, who is a local Marion County APD Employee.

When I got to the presentation room, Barbara and Lane came in and said that it was an honor that I came. Barbara did her presentation about APD and why we all were there. She shared a couple videos, in which one of them was a video of the Ellen Degeneres show where Ellen interviewed a lady with cerebral Palsy and was Ms. Tennessee. What a very inspirational video and it even made me cry. (I want to be on the Ellen show one day, what an honor it would be)

I must be dreaming, pinch me. I had a dream one night about 15 years ago about getting in my own car and telling it where to take me. Then the car takes me to my destination without me having another person in the car, not even having to touch the wheel or pedals.

Guess what? You may think I am crazy at first, but Google is currently working on a driverless car. Why would anyone need a driverless car and what would be some benefits?

For people who can’t drive, it gives you more freedom to go where you want without counting on anyone else to drive you.

People who are blind or with disabilities that limit them from driving, it gives them freedom and a way to live their own lives without having to count on others all the time.

This will help stop the stupid driving and accidents on the road.

It will stop you from losing your temper due to someone else’s stupidity getting upset changes you in many ways and makes your day horrible.

I don’t know about you, but because I can’t dive, right now, I spend most of my time at home. I get bored out of my mind and wish I can go somewhere. This driverless car will allow me and many others to go anywhere at any time. I can just get my keys, get in car, tell the car where I want to go and sit back while the car takes me to my destination.

The future I getting better and better for so many! Take a look at this video about the driverless car that I found on YouTube and has been on the news

What We Are About

The Squeaky Wheelchair is about the disabled. About living with a disability. About parenting a child with a disability. About civil rights and advocacy for those with disabilities. About issues and events that affect the disabled.

Thomas Moon is a business person and advocate living in Ocala Florida. He is also a young man in a wheelchair.

Thomas was the recipient of the Idelio Valdes Leadership and Advocacy Award in 2011. He was appointed to the Florida Developmental Disability Council in early 2013 by Governor Scott.

Howard Moon is Thomas's dad. He is an advocate. Former Florida Governor's Bush and Christ appointed him to the Florida Human Rights Council where he served for a number of years as Chairperson for the Central Florida area.

Both Thomas and Howard are active as advocates both at the local level in Ocala and Central Florida; and at the State level in Tallahassee.